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Central Kurdish

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Central Kurdish, often called Sorani Kurdish, is a major language variety. It is spoken primarily in Iraq and several Iranian provinces. These provinces include Kurdistan, Kermanshah, and West Azerbaijan. In Iraq, it holds a very important status. It is one of the two official languages of the nation. In many official government documents, it is simply called "Kurdish."

Central Kurdish-Sorani in Naskh
Central Kurdish-Sorani in Naskh

One specific version of this language is known as Sorani. This name comes from the historical Soran Emirate. The variety used in Slemani is a common base for Sorani. To write this language, people use the Kurdo-Arabic alphabet. This script is an adaptation of the Arabic alphabet. It was developed during the 1920s. Two men, Sa'ed Sidqi Kaban and Taufiq Wahby, were responsible for this system. They modified the script to better fit the sounds of the language.

Central Kurdish-Sorani in Naskh
Central Kurdish-Sorani in Naskh

Tracing the exact history of Central Kurdish is quite difficult. Scholars do not know the specific predecessors from Old or Middle Iranian times. The oldest surviving texts appear to date from the 16th century CE. A very early example is a book called Mehdîname. Mulla Muhammed ibn ul Haj wrote this work in 1762. Central Kurdish became a written language as other local forms declined. This happened during the rise of the Baban dynasty near Slemani. During this era, Sorani became a vital tool for literature.

Poetry played a massive role in developing the language. Many famous poets chose Sorani even though they knew Arabic and Persian. One such poet was Nalî. He worried his Kurdish poems might not spread as widely as Arabic ones. However, his work and the work of others like Salim and Mustefa Bêgî Kurdî were vital. Their writings created the foundation for the standard version of the language. Other early non-poetic works included a glossary by Ehmedî in 1795. These early texts often relied heavily on Arabic and Persian vocabulary.

Significant changes occurred after World War I. Much of the region came under British rule in present-day Iraq. During this time, Central Kurdish moved into media and journalism. The first government press in Sorani opened in Sulaymaniyah in 1920. This helped the language grow in education and administration. By 1923, the press had published 118 issues of a weekly called Pêşkewtin. They also published Bangî Kurdistan and Rojî Kurdistan. These publications helped make Central Kurdish a language for modern life.

Central Kurdish-Sorani in Naskh
Central Kurdish-Sorani in Naskh

In the mid-20th century, the language continued to evolve. In Iraq, the 1958 revolution helped the language gain more legitimacy. A Kurdish department was even started at the University of Baghdad. In 1960, the first Central Kurdish-Arabic dictionary was published. In Iran, the language faced more challenges and restrictions. For example, a 1935 decree suppressed Kurdish as a written language. However, radio broadcasting in the 1940s helped keep the language popular. This helped people in different regions stay connected to the language.

Today, Central Kurdish connects people through many modern systems. In 1992, the Kurdistan Region Parliament made it an official language. In 1997, the Kurdistan Sciency Academy was formed in Erbil. This group works to create a unified language for the region. Even the internet has changed how people use it. Thousands of speakers now access literature through the World Wide Web. While spelling rules can still vary, the language remains a vital part of Kurdish identity.

Central Kurdish-Sorani in Naskh
Central Kurdish-Sorani in Naskh
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File:Central Kurdish-Sorani in Naskh.png
Central Kurdish-Sorani in Naskh.png
WIKITONGUES- Golala speaking Sorani Kurdish.webm
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